Broken Ones
by FJoyous
Summary: I wrote this about a year ago. It's on this website, but I couldn't access my old ff account so I've transferred it here. Season 1 time line: Wally finds out part of Artemis' secret.


_ I can't help it I love the broken ones_  
_the ones who need the most patching up _  
_the ones who never been loved_  
_never been loved _  
_never been loved enough _

"WALLY!" A familiar voice yelled out. Wally sighed and rolled his eyes. He was not going to answer to it this time. He continued smashing his thumbs down on his PSP trying to get ahead of the other cars in "Burnout".

"WALLY!" The voice called out again, but this time it was closer. Still ignoring the voice, Wally cried victoriously as he reached the finish line in first place on his handheld video game.

"HAHA!" He yelled. "Take that!" Suddenly a hand reached out and grabbed the gaming device from Wally's hands. "Hey!" He called trying to grab it back. "What the heck was that for? Give it back, Artemis."

Artemis' face stared blankly at her teammate. "You left this on the bathroom floor, again." She said showing him her other hand. Her other hand had a rubber glove and inside the palm was a pile of red hair.

"Uh, I'm not the only ginger here." He said in a smart-aleck tone, grabbing his PSP back.

"That may be true, but you are the only one inconsiderate enough to leave it all over the floor! It just makes my job of cleaning this stupid cave harder." Artemis yelled back. "And, there is also the important detail that M'gann is not even here and hasn't been for the past week." M'gann had been taking a vacation to Mars with her Uncle and while she was away, Artemis had offered to help take care of cleaning the cave. "That makes you the only 'ginger' who has used the bathroom around here lately." She said.

Wally rolled his eyes, she had won the argument, again. He started to ignore her and started a new race. "Wally?!" Artemis yelled. "Why don't you even care? You could try to help me and clean." She suggested.

"Nah." Wally said sticking his tongue out as he was trying to concentrate on his video game. "You're the one who agreed to do that, not me." Wally stated.

"You are so stinking lazy it's not even funny, West." Artemis sighed in disgust.

"Team. To the mission room." They heard Batman over the intercom.

"This isn't over." Artemis said throwing Wally's hair into the garbage.

"It never is." Wally sighed putting his game down.

Batman, Robin, Superboy and Aqualad were standing in the room waiting for them. Batman pulled up the holographic computer screen and showed a picture of the ambassador of Uruguay. "He is visiting today to speak to the president." Artemis already knew what was coming next. "We have reason to believe that the Shadow's want him. You need to protect him tonight."

Shadows meant Cheshire. Cheshire meant harassment and bad memories. Something Artemis didn't want to deal with right now. She was frustrated enough already. She knew that Cheshire may have nothing to do with this, but with the wait her life worked, Cheshire was bound to show up. Artemis wanted to sigh loudly, but she knew that would be the wrong thing to do. So she merely rolled her eyes while no one was paying attention.

Batman discussed with the team their goal, but Artemis blocked it all out. She really didn't care right now. She already wanted this mission to be over.

The team got set up and Zeta'd over to the white house. They had the civies on and there costumes underneath. Everyone had their weapons hidden. They were all ready. They blended into the crowd who were waiting to see the ambassador come.

"This is ridiculous." Artemis groaned. "I can't see a thing over this crowd."

"We need to spilt up. Go to different angles. See if we cannot then get a better view." Aqualad said.

"Got it." Artemis said starting to leave. "I'll contact you guys if I see anything." That way she wouldn't have to worry about Cheshire herself.

"Wait!" Robin called out. "Batman said we can't break radio silence."

"Weren't you listening?" Wally asked.

"What? How are we supposed to communicate? M'gann isn't here." Artemis argued.

"We can't. But, do you really want to risk the Shadow's tracking us?" Robin asked her.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "F - Fine. Whatever. See you guys." Artemis ran off in the other direction.

Artemis tried to see over the crowd, but she failed every time. There were too many people. Why did so many people care about this? Of course, maybe this many people being here was a good thing. Maybe the Shadow's wouldn't strike with so many people here?

Who was she kidding? They would have no problem striking with people watching. Red Arrow had told her what happened when the ambassadors of North and South Rhelasia were wanted by the Shadows. It was just hopeful thinking on her part. Hopeful, stupid thinking.

She looked around for somewhere to get a better view. A rooftop, maybe? She would be able to see everything from up there. She debated on this. On the one hand, she would be able to help the team complete the mission successfully. On the other, she was really tempted to just bail the mission without the team knowing.

She sighed as her conscience told her that the right thing to do would be to get on a stupid roof top and get this stupid mission over with. She quickly found a hotel and walked inside. Using the elevator she went as high as she could before she had to use the stairs to get to the roof.

She got to the roof and was able to see everything from up there. The crowds, the flash from the photographers, cameras from the news stations, body guards. Wally — Wally?  
"Wally?" She gasped. "What on earth are you doing up here?" She asked.

"Uh, getting a better view?" He answered.

"Well, go find another rooftop!" Artemis yelled. "I was here first."

"How is that even possible? I'm the fastest kid alive and you weren't here when I got here. You go find another rooftop." Wally argued.

"You little —" Artemis stopped suddenly. She looked behind Wally and behind her she saw the person she had prayed wouldn't be here. Cheshire.

"What?" Wally asked, beginning to turn around.

"Nothing!" Artemis said. Turning him back. "You win, okay? I'll go find another rooftop."  
Artemis left as fast as she possibly could. Wally held his head high in the air in complete pride. He had won this time.

Then he realized something. Artemis would never just let him win. Never in a million years. He turned around to try to figure out what had made Artemis leave, but there was nothing to see. Wally, though still curious, tried to shrug it off and focus on the mission on hand.

Artemis ran down the stairs and found a utility closet. She quickly took off her clothes which reveled her hero costume underneath and she ran out. She had a new plan. Take Cheshire out herself before things got bad. Before any one else even saw her.

When she finally got outside, in a dark, dusty alley, Cheshire was there to meet her.

"Artemis." Cheshire smiled slyly. Her mask was was off and inside her hand.

"Cheshire." Artemis replied as she aimed her bow at Cheshire. "Don't make me do this. Just leave quietly and everything will be fine."

"Come on, Arty. We both you wouldn't do that to me." Cheshire said.

"Why wouldn't I?" Artemis asked. "After everything you did to me and what you're going to try to do to this ambassador?"

"I think you know why." Cheshire said.

"I have no problem doing this." Artemis lied. She really didn't want to do it. She didn't want to feel like she had betrayed her sister, even though her sister had betrayed her. "I will if you don't leave quietly."

"Really?" Cheshire asked. "Haven't we discussed this the first time we crossed paths? I have information about you that you don't want your precious friends to know. If you capture me, they'll interrogate me —"

"I know." Artemis interrupted. That was the one thing that stopped Artemis from capturing her the first time. She knew it was the wrong thing to do. She knew it. But, she wanted to be accepted by someone. Anyone.

"Maybe that doesn't bother me anymore." She suggested.

"So, it won't bother you if Flash Boy knows you're my sister?" Cheshire smiled as she pointed to a figure behind Artemis.

Artemis turned around to see Kid Flash standing there. "What —" Artemis went to turn to Cheshire, but Cheshire had, well, disappeared.

He knew. He knew now.

"Artemis?" Wally walked up to her. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"You idiot!" Artemis yelled out of frustration shoving his hand off of her.

"What did I do?!" Wally yelled back.

"You showed up!" Artemis answered throwing her bow down. "I had her. You're an imbecile!"

Wally stood there in astonishment. He was trying to help! How could she say something like that? He didn't say anything in response. he couldn't. They both stood there staring at one another.

The quiet eventually became awkward. Several times Wally tried to run off to find Cheshire, but his legs wouldn't move and he didn't understand why.

"I hope you're happy now." Artemis said eventually. "You've got what you've always wanted." She stormed off.

That was it. She was done. She would be kicked off the team. Wally wouldn't hesitate to tell everyone what Cheshire had said. No one would accept her anymore. They would all assume that she was the mole. She couldn't believe this had happened. How could Cheshire do this?

Oh yeah. The same way Cheshire had left her alone with their father of all people to watch over her. The same way Cheshire had betrayed their trust. The same way Cheshire broke Artemis' fragile heart.

The computer recognized Artemis as she walked into the cave. She was going to pack. She walked into where she kept her extra equipment and began to stuff it all into a bag. Might as well leave now. She didn't want to stick around for the harassment and hate she was going to get.

"Recognized: Kid Flash. B03" The computer read off. The sound echoed through the entire cave. "Great." Artemis said to herself. "He's here to rub it in my face. Could this day get any worse?"

Artemis finished packing her supplies and headed into the mission room, praying Wally wouldn't be there. He was.

"Artemis!" He said running to her. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Leaving." She answered. "What does it look like?"

"Why do you have all your arrows packed?" Wally asked her.

"Are you playing dumb or are you really that dumb?" Artemis snapped. "You heard Cheshire! You have the perfect reason to kick me off the team now."

"So, Cheshire was telling the truth?" Wally asked.

"Yes, dip wad." Artemis smacked him. "Now I would like to leave before you tell the rest of the team. So if you'll excuse me." She shoved him forcefully out of the way.

"Why would I tell them?" Wally asked. Artemis ignored him and kept walking toward the zeta tube. "I wouldn't." Wally said. This made Artemis stop dead in her tracks.

"What did you say?" She whispered turning her head toward him.

Wally slowly walked up to her. "I won't tell. So you don't have the perfect family and your sister is a criminal. Big deal."

"It kinda is a big deal." Artemis argued.

"Not to me." Wally chocked. "You're different from her."

What was he doing? Why was he saying these horrible things? Wally wanted to smack himself. This was perfect. There was a chance that she could get kicked off. Artemis was right, this is what he had wanted. So why was he comforting her?

As Wally looked into Artemis' grey eyes he realized that he couldn't help but comfort her. She was broken and he couldn't bare to see it. He excused this feeling as what heroes do. Help the broken heal.

"I can tell." He finally continued. "You might be as stubborn, but you're not a criminal. The fact that even with her influence you're doing the right thing…is great." Wally couldn't stop saying these things. No matter how much he thought he wanted to.

"So…" Artemis replied, her voice slightly cracking. "You're not going to tell the team?"

"No." Wally said. "I think you should though, when you're ready."

"Why?" Artemis asked him.

"Because, if I of all people can still accept you, they will too."

Artemis couldn't believe what had come out of his mouth this conversation. Not one harassing statement. Not one time did he say something negative. Was this the real Wally West?

They stared at each other for a long time, not saying anything. No more words had to be said. Wally knew that even if Artemis wouldn't admit it, she was grateful for everything he had said, for everything he had done.

"Recognized. Robin. B01." The computer read off.

"What happened to you guys?" Robin asked walking up to them. "We got Cheshire, but we couldn't contact you. Is everything okay?"

"Y — Yes." Artemis said. "Everything is fine."

_Maybe I see a part of me in them_  
_The missing piece always trying to fit in_  
_A shattered heart hungry for a home_  
_no you're not alone_  
_I love the broken ones._


End file.
